Home > Statistics > Patenting > 2007 > Domestic patenting by enterprises on the decline

Published: 30 October 2008

Domestic patenting by enterprises on the decline

Domestic patenting by enterprises and associations has been declining steadily since the year 2000. Enterprises filed 1,898 domestic patent applications in 2000 and 1,349 applications in 2007. Enterprises having filed patent applications numbered 563 in 2000 and 467 in 2007. Over the same time period, the number of domestic patents granted to enterprises fell from 879 to 559 and the number of enterprises to which patents were granted from 262 to 246. One reason for the reduction is increased international patenting by enterprises. Applications for patents validated in Finland are also filed with international patenting offices, mainly the European Patent Office. A total of 141 European patents of 71 domestic enterprises were validated in Finland in 2007.

A total of 2,012 patent applications were filed direct with the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland in 2007. The number was four down on the year before. Applications filed direct from abroad numbered 211. The number of domestic applications fell by 12 while that of foreign applications went up by six.

Enterprises and associations filed 1,349 domestic patent applications and the rest were filed by private individuals.

In 2007, a domestic patent application was filed by 467 enterprises or associations. The number fell by 59 from the previous year. Fifteen enterprises filed patent applications jointly with some other applicant, and 21 enterprises filed 10 or more applications. Most enterprises filed only one patent application; in 2007 such enterprises numbered 328.

The number of enterprises having filed patent applications was highest in the metal and engineering industries where 91 enterprises filed 437 applications for domestic patents and 66 enterprises were granted 223 patents. The next highest number of patents was granted in the electronics industry, where 111 domestic patents were granted to 46 enterprises.

In 2007, a total of 920 patents were granted in Finland, 301 of then to foreign applicants. In addition, 5,431 European patents were validated, 149 of them to Finnish applicants. Inclusive of European patents, the highest numbers of foreign patents were granted to applicants from the United States (25%), Germany (20%) and France (8%)

Figure: Domestic patents granted to enterprises and associations in 2000-2007

Source: Patenting 2007. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Markku Virtaharju (09) 1734 3290, tiede.teknologia@stat.fi

Acting Director in charge: Matti Parkkinen

Publication in pdf-format (12 pages 272.7 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• 1. Patent applications filed in Finland in 1985-2007 (30.10.2008)
• 2. Domestic patent applications by region in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 3. Domestic patent applications of enterprises and associations by industry in 2001, 2004 and 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 4. Patents granted in Finland by IPC section in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 5. Domestic patents granted to enterprises and associations by industry in 2001-2007 (30.10.2008)
• 6. European patents validated in Finland by IPC-section and resident country of assignee in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 7. Patents granted to finnish enterprises by European Patent Office and United States Patent and Trademark Office by industry in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 8. Partner countries in patents granted to Finnish inventors in 2007 (30.10.2008)

Figures

• 1. Patent applications filed in Finland by IPC section in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 2. Patents granted and European patents validated in 2001 - 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 3. Patents granted in Finland in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 4. European patents validated in Finland in 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 5. Selected countries shares of European patenting in 2000 and 2007 (30.10.2008)
• 6. Domestic ownership of foreign inventions (30.10.2008)
• 7. Foreign ownership of domestic inventions (30.10.2008)
• 8. Joint inventions share of domestic inventions (30.10.2008)

---

Updated 30.10.2008